Episode 173 - Smoke and Mirrors

A long episode summary should be up soon!

The performance of a stage hypnotist at a football fund-raiser has serious consequences for Adam's mate, Wazza, when it reveals his latent homosexuality. But when the hypnotist is found injured after his vehicle is forced off the road, Wazza is not the only suspect...

Adam's mate, Wazza Tully, is in trouble; Mandy Barnes wants him charged with sexual assault after an incident at the Imperial where a drunken Wazza tried to grabs her breasts. Tom sends Adam to 'have a few words' with his mate and warn him to stay off the grog - especially at the footy club fund-raising function tonight.

The function features Justin de Carlo, an illusionist and stage hypnotist. All the Heelers are there, and some of them even find themselves up on stage as volunteers, as does Wazza. But when Justin suggests that his hypnotised volunteers go and kiss the person they fancy the most in the room, the whole town is astounded when Wazza heads straight for Adam and kisses him full on the lips!

Although Tom is inclined to play down the situation the following morning, believing the less fuss the sooner it will be forgotten, Wazza demands police action, convinced that he has been tricked and defamed. Nick discovers that stage hypnosis is against the law, but when they point this out to de Carlo, he challenges them to prove that he did in fact hypnotise anyone.

An embarrassed Adam tries to calm down his friend, but when he goes to Zoe for a professional opinion about hypnotism, he is far from reassured when she tells him that subjects rarely do anything against their nature when under the influence. So the chances are that Wazza is actually gay and over-compensating.

This is obviously what his footy mates believe when they attack Wazza for trying to join a practice session. Adam arrives in time to stop the fight, but he hesitates, not wishing to be branded with the same stigma. Wazza refuses to charge his attackers.

Wazza is soon in trouble again when he attempts to talk his fiancee out of breaking off their engagement and is interrupted by her fist-wielding brother. Adam breaks up the fight, but is cool towards his former mate.

By now Adam is not feeling proud of his betrayal of friendship, but when they find Justin de Carlo's car run off the road, he has to believe that Wazza may have been responsible, even though there are other suspects.

When Wazza is found swilling down pills and swaying drunkenly on the football grandstand roof, it is Adam who talks him down.

The next day there are a couple of surprise confessions with regard to de Carlo's accident, only one of which turns out to be correct.

And Adam is at last able to persuade his friend to charge the bigots who made it impossible for him to stay in the town.

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